Physical structure of matter Solid-state Physics, Plasma Physics Band gap of germanium with Cobra3 What you can learn about Semiconductor Band theory Forbidden band Intrinsic conduction Extrinsic conduction Impurity depletion Valence band Conduction band Principle: The conductivity of a germanium testpiece is measured as a function of temperature. The energy gap is determined from the measured values. What you need: Hall effect module 11801.00 1 Intrinsic conductor, Ge, carrier board 11807.01 1 Power supply 0-12 V DC/ 6 V, 12 V AC 13505.93 1 Tripod base -PASS- 02002.55 1 Support rod -PASS-, square, l = 250 mm 02025.55 1 Right angle clamp -PASS- 02040.55 1 Connecting cable, 4 mm plug, 32 A, black, l = 50 cm 07361.05 2 Cobra3 Basic-Unit, USB 12150.50 1 Power supply 12V/2A 12151.99 1 Software Cobra3 Hall effect 14521.61 1 Data cable 2 x SUB-D, plug/socket, 9 pole 14602.00 1 PC, Windows XP or higher Complete Equipment Set, Manual on CD-ROM included Band gap of germanium with Cobra3 P2530411 Typical measurement of the probe-voltage as a function of the temperature. Tasks: 1. The current and voltage are to be measured across a germanium test-piece as a function of temperature. 2. From the measurements, the conductivity is to be calculated and plotted against the reciprocal of the tem per a ture T. A linear plot is obtained, from whose slope the energy gap of germanium can be determined. 252 Laboratory Experiments Physics PHYWE Systeme GmbH & Co. KG D-37070 Göttingen
Band gap of germanium with Cobra3 LEP Related topics Semiconductor, band theory, forbidden band, intrinsic conduction, extrinsic conduction, impurity depletion, valence band, conduction band. Principle The conductivity of a germanium testpiece is measured as a function of temperature. The energy gap is determined from the measured values. Equipment Hall effect module, 11801.00 1 Hall effect, undot.-ge, carrier board 11807.01 1 Power supply 0-12 V DC/6 V, 12 V AC 13505.93 1 Tripod base -PASS- 02002.55 1 Support rod -PASS-, square, l = 250 mm 02025.55 1 Right angle clamp -PASS- 02040.55 1 Connecting cord, l = 500 mm, black 07361.05 2 Cobra3 Basic-Unit 12150.00 1 Power supply, 12 V 12151.99 1 Cobra3 Software Hall 14521.61 1 RS 232 data cable 14602.00 2 PC, Windows 95 or higher Tasks 1. The current and voltage are to be measured across a germanium test-piece as a function of temperature. 2. From the measurements, the conductivity s is to be calculated and plotted against the reciprocal of the temperature T. A linear plot is obtained, from whose slope the energy gap of germanium can be determined. Set-up and procedure The experimental set-up is shown in Fig.1. The test piece on the board has to be put into the hall-effect-module via the guide-groove. The module is directly connected with the 12 V~ output of the power unit over the ac-input on the backside of the module. The direct connection with the PC is realized via the RS232 port. The voltage and the current across the sample and the temperature of the probe are measured with the hall-effect-module and evaluated with the PC. Therefore, start the programme measure and choose as gauge Cobra3 hall effect. Fig.1: Experimental set-up for the determination of the band gap of germanium PHYWE series of publications Laboratory Experiments Physics PHYWE SYSTEME GMBH & Co. KG D-37070 Göttingen P2530411 1
LEP Band gap of germanium with Cobra3 Start a new measurement and set the measuring parameters as described in Fig.2. Fig. 2: Measuring parameters for the software Theory and evaluation The conductivity s is defined as following: s 1 r l I A U c 1 m d with r = specific recistivity, l = length of test specimen, A = cross section, I = current, U = voltage. (Dimensions of Ge-plate 20 10 1 mm 3 ) The conductivity of semiconductors is characteristically a function of temperature. Three ranges can be distinguished: at low temperatures we have extrinsic conduction (range ), i.e. as the temperature rises charge carriers are activated from the impurities. At moderate temperatures (range we talk of impurity depletion, since a further temperatue rise no longer produces activition of impurities. At high temperatures (range ) it is intrinsic conduction which finally predominates (see Fig. 3). In this instance charge carriers are additionally transferred by thermal excitation from the valence band to the conduction band. The temperature dependence is in this case essentially described by an exponential function. s s 0 exp 2 kt ( = engergy gap, k = Boltzmann s constant, T = absolute temperature). The current and temperature can also be easily read on the integrated display of the module. You can change the mode with the Display -knob. At the beginning, set the current to a value of 5 ma. The current remains nearly constant during the measurement, but the voltage changes according to a change in temperature. Start the new measurement in the software and activate the heating coil with the on/off -knob on the backside of the module. Now, the change in voltage dependent on the change in temperature for a temperature range of room temperature to a maximum of 170 C will be measured and displayed with the PC. The Hall-effect-module has a controlled heating coil that stops at a temperature of 170 C. When this temperature is reached and the heating period has ended, stop the measurement. You will receive a typical curve as shown in Fig.3. The logarithm of this equation ln s ln s 0 2 kt is with y = ln s and x 1 T, y = a + bx, where b 2k a linear equation on the type is slope of the straight line. With the measured values from Fig. 2, the regression with the expression ln s ln s 0 2 k 1 T provides the slope b = (4.05 ± 0.06) 10 3 K (Fig. 4). Fig.4: Conductivity of a semi-conductor as a function of the reciprocal of the temperature Fig.3: Typical measurement of the probe-voltage as a function of the temperature 2 P2530411 PHYWE series of publications Laboratory Experiments Physics PHYWE SYSTEME GMBH & Co. KG D-37070 Göttingen
Band gap of germanium with Cobra3 LEP Therefore, you have to modify the measured values. Choose the item channel modification in the menu analysis. Set the parameters as shown in Fig. 5. You will receive a new graph. Fig. 5: Parameters for the first channel modification Repeat the procedure with the new parameters described in Fig. 6 and you will get the graph from Fig. 7. With the Boltzmann s constant k = 8.625 10 5 ev, we finally obtain = b 2k = (0.70 ± 0.01) ev. (Literature value 0.67 ev) Fig. 7: Regression of the conductivity versus the reciprocal of the absolute temperature Fig. 6: Parameters for the second channel modification PHYWE series of publications Laboratory Experiments Physics PHYWE SYSTEME GMBH & Co. KG D-37070 Göttingen P2530411 3
LEP Band gap of germanium with Cobra3 4 P2530411 PHYWE series of publications Laboratory Experiments Physics PHYWE SYSTEME GMBH & Co. KG D-37070 Göttingen